The 2024 Best Small Firms to Work For: Pathways Consulting Group

CLIENT INDUSTRIES SERVED: Communications and Media, Financial Services, Health Care, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Wholesale & Retail

CONSULTING SERVICE LINES: HR Technology and Transformation, IT Strategy, IT Architecture, IT Governance Risk Management & Controls, IT Systems Integration Services

Pathways Consulting Group is a Certified Women-Owned Business and ServiceNow Elite Partner. Our team of experienced professionals has a presence across the US, with international experience.

As one of the first 50 ServiceNow Partners, the Pathways team includes a diverse group of well-qualified professionals with hundreds of total ServiceNow and professional certifications. Our people have years of real-life experience implementing, maintaining, and supporting the ServiceNow platform.

Pathways has more than a decade of excellent ServiceNow Customer Satisfaction scores and over 900 successful deployments. We have been dubbed "The Rescue Partner" thanks to our ability to step in and successfully correct implementations that would have otherwise failed. Our "crawl, walk, run" approach allows for quick, comfortable implementation and increased enterprise-wide platform adoption. Our team listens, cares, and executes when it comes to our consulting and delivery philosophy. We work flexibly and stay focused on providing our clients with the best Partner experience the ServiceNow ecosystem has to offer.

CMAG: What characteristics and elements would you attribute to your firm's inclusion as a Best Firm to Work For?

At Pathways, we take our commitment to our people and our culture seriously. We believe that when our team thrives, our clients will thrive too. That's why we make it our top priority to build an environment where interactions with our company are positive and rewarding for everyone involved.

Our team has built a strong sense of camaraderie that allows our work to be fun while maintaining clear expectations and goals for everyone. We know what is required of us to succeed, and we support each other in achieving that success. We work together, we push each other, and we celebrate our wins together. Together, we push our boundaries, hold ourselves accountable, and enjoy what we do.

In addition, we encourage growth through learning and building experiences. Our team continually takes steps to master their craft and add certifications and new levels of expertise. Our team also shares a common set of values and approaches to client service and to the team internally.

CMAG: Are there any specific programs or initiatives that contributed to you being included as a Best Firm?

We know that skilled professionals often prioritize workplaces where they feel heard, valued, and engaged, and their personal morals are aligned with the company's values. We have made our culture a priority within our organization. Through our Culture Team, we implement events and initiatives that are meaningful to our team and our communities. Through our WeCare Program, we support deserving charities, chosen based on team member feedback and contributions. We aim to encourage kindness, including giving to those in need, supporting causes that are close to us, and contributing to making an impact in our community. We set aside volunteer days, allowing our team to connect with rewarding experiences and organizations that make a difference.

Our Culture Team does a great job of organizing team-building events and initiatives. We highlight team members with awards and recognition, provide feedback and support, and encourage an environment of learning, collaboration, and growth. We promote collaboration and open communication encouraging the sharing of ideas and cross-functional teamwork and it shows in how our team works together. We stand by our core values: Be exceptional. Be collaborative.

CMAG: In describing your firm, what would you say sets it apart from other consulting firms?

Our people set us apart. Our team's dedication and commitment of our team is evident in their long tenures. Clients can count on seamless experiences with us thanks to our minimal turnover in key roles. We prioritize expertise, a client-focused approach, adaptability, and innovation – which all contribute to a superior client experience.

Our depth of knowledge and expertise is significant and consistent and our clients know that they can depend on that in the delivery of their project. Our team earns the highest levels of certifications and education to allow the expertise to deliver quality work in addition to the care and concern that goes into every instance.

The client-focused approach and adaptability allow us to identify the specific needs and pain points of our clients. We can then offer real solutions with implementation plans and, if needed, training to ensure full adoption. Our clients know they have a partner in us, not just a consulting firm.

Adaptability also means embracing emerging technologies, cutting-edge advances, and maintaining a focus on innovation. We are informed and inspired by our clients' real-world experiences and committed to innovative solutions that create a simplified, automated, and successful experience. To do this, we prioritize listening to our clients, communicating effectively, and delivering personalized solutions.

CMAG: Where your workforce is concerned, what would you say your priorities look like for the upcoming year and beyond?

At Pathways, we prioritize growth – especially when it comes to building the workforce for our clients. We focus on intentional, strategic growth to ensure our cultural priorities remain intact. This allows us to bring value to both our company and clients as we continue to scale an innovative, impressive team.

We prioritize the expansion of our expertise and development of ServiceNow, focused on emerging technologies. As technology continues to rapidly evolve, our team continues to stay at the forefront of these advances. We not only learn about the technology – we also analyze how implementation can be challenging for clients, allowing us to strike the right balance for the best possible outcome.

Pathways' Innovation Lab serves as an incubator for new application ideas, enabling us to provide forward-thinking solutions to client problems. Our clients have come to expect this type of innovation from us and our commitment to it remains strong, especially as both technology and client needs continue to evolve.

CMAG: What opportunities do you see as the most promising?

We have been dubbed a ServiceNow "Rescue Partner" thanks to our ability to step into struggling projects and turn them around. These opportunities not only challenge our team, they also allow us to contribute to extremely rewarding situations. So many people are impacted when a project is failing or there is a lack of adoption. It takes a dedicated partner with a committed team to mend the relationship with the client and build trust and faith back into the project.

As we look ahead to 2025, our focus on innovation continues to drive us. We have already built two useful applications in the ServiceNow store. Our goal has been to offer innovative solutions and creative problem-solving to continue to move our partnerships to the next level. We are excited to continue expanding our offerings and pushing the boundaries in the Innovation Lab in 2025.

CMAG: What market forces do you see as the most challenging?

The rapidly changing technology landscape can be challenging, of course. We must ​​ensure that we successfully implement a priority for new regulations and address ethical implications simultaneously. As technology changes, so do regulations, requiring ongoing education for both our firm and our clients.

In such a crowded market, we must differentiate Pathways through our expertise, culture, and focus on successful client partnerships. Finding and striking the balance between high-quality deliverables, thought leadership, and marketing efforts while continually developing our technical skills and expertise will be critical. As our firm grows, maintaining the level of service and personal touch that clients have come to expect from us remains a top priority. Ensuring consistent delivery across different regions and service lines, while managing growth and communication will be a key challenge moving forward.

CMAG: What impact do you think Best Firm to Work For honors will have on your employees? The firm overall? Clients? Receiving the Best Firm to Work For Award will solidify our reputation as a professional advisory firm that prioritizes the well-being and satisfaction of our employees. This recognition will further highlight our.